Beware the frozen heart
by kipling2412
Summary: My take on S4. While Regina tries to understand what she feels about Emma's betrayal and the loss of her "soul mate" Robin, people are disappearing again. However, Elsa isn't the only one responsible for the disappearances. and SQ will be forced to resolve their issues before they have any chance of survival. SwanQueen is end game, Jasmine/Aladdin (based on Disney version);
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"Regina!" shouted Robin, following the brunet in her way out of the dinner and into the streets.

With the "beautiful" family reunion happening inside the diner, Regina left to get some fresh air. If she had stayed longer, she would have lost it and embarrassed herself in front of Henry — who, by the way, had again chosen to stay at the Charmings' place, which made the whole situation worse. She would spend her Saturday night in her house, with only a glass of wine as company. The old Regina would have considered this routine, but the relationship with Robin had led her new, redeemed self to fantasize about not having to be on her own anymore ever again. Of course, just as usual, her dreams were crushed by fate – which, by the way, enjoyed showing itself in the form of Emma Swan. Apparently the blond was fate's favorite mean of communication when it came to inform Regina that, no matter how much she tried, love was beyond her grasp. She slowed down for Robin to reach her, but did not stop. "What?"

"Where are you going?"

Staring at the ground in front of her, she answered, "Home."

"You didn't say goodbye."

She said, "You were busy," unaware she had fastened her pace.

"Why are you running away from me?" He pulled her hand out of her pocket and forced her to stop.

"Isn't it obvious?"

He sighed. "We are not done, Regina."

"Oh?" her eyebrows jumped high in her forehead, "You are a married mannow_, _my dear."

"Maybe I don't want to be. I might want a divorce."

"Do you?"

"I might do."

Regina rolled her eyes, "Might isn't enough."

"It's still something, though, isn't it?"

"I won't settle for a little something, want to be with me, then no maybes. I will not wait for you to decide on whether you want to be with me or her, Robin."

"This isn't my fault."

"I know it's not, but I know what this all means. Be it your fault or not, your wife is back."

"I want to be with you."

"What about her?" she asked, stopping abruptly. "Are you planning to leave her for me?"

He did not answer. She exhaled the air in her lungs in a cold laugh, averting his gaze and resuming her walk. Robin continued to follow her, "Things are complicated."

"No, they are not. I understand you might want to be with her. If Daniel was to return from the past…" she shrugged, "Well... The loss of a lover is one of the most painful moments in life, and second chances are not as common as one would like them to be. Life blessed you with one, and I will not judge you for taking it; however, you cannot have everything, my dear. You can't have both of us."

"This is it, then? You want me to make a choice now?"

"What were you expecting? That I settled for being the _other?" _she shot him an ironic laugh, "My apologies, dear, I couldn't."

Silence.

Robin stared at her for a few seconds. At last, he spoke, "Ok."

"Ok?"

"Ok," repeated. "Can we at least be friends, then?"

Regina took in a deep breath, opening and closing her mouth several times. "Good night, Robin."

"What do I tell Roland?"

"Tell him I will always be his friend, regardless of my relationship with you," replied, her back still turned to him as she walked towards her Mercedes.

"Do you mean it?"

"Yes, I do," she finally reached her car. "He is a delightful company." She entered, and watched through the driver's mirror as Robin turned away.

_Wow. So much for a soul mate, _she thought, as she saw him disappearing back into the diner.

The first thing she did when she arrived in her house was to open a bottle of wine. She took off her boots and collapsed on the couch. Staring at the ceiling of her living room, she frowned as she realized something. Though Robin was an enjoyable company, she did not miss him. She missed the feeling of having someone she could trust, and for whom she cared.

When she found out about his lion tattoo, she tried to convince herself she loved him and they needed to stick together. The truth was she cared about Robin as much as she cared for anyone else she knew… Not much — except Henry of course.

Tinkerbell told her Robin was her soul mate… Why? Why should she believe her and force herself into that relationship? Her feelings for Robin were not nearly as powerful as what she had for Daniel, or Henry. Christ, even Emma Swan used to evoke more emotion in her than he did. Was he attractive? Sure. Was his accent so beautiful that every word would become a poem in his lips? Yes.

The real question here, however, is "did she _love_ him?"

She wasn't sure.

* * *

**Storybrooke, 1 week later**

Emma and Henry arrived at Granny's, joining David, Mary Margaret and their crying baby at their table. David had lost the energized expression he usually had. Her mother did not wear make-up anymore, and her hair was messy. They both had dark circles under their eyes, the clear mark of all first time newborns' parents.

"Grandpa? Grandma? You guys look terrible."

"Kid!" she turned to Henry, "We don't say this kind of stuff to people!"

"It's alright, Emma. We do look awful," said the brunet.

"Neal decided he didn't want to sleep last night," explained David.

"So neither did we," she gave a weak smile, which was corresponded by Emma, though hers seemed forced.

A voice from behind interrupted their conversation, "Welcome to parenthood."

The woman standing by their side had little resemblance to the one Emma met in the Enchanted Forest. For one, she was wearing a beautiful blue dress, and her hair was not a mess anymore. She had her son in her arms, and her husband at her side, and she seemed to have taken some rest.

"Marian… Hi," greeted Emma, the lack of excitement transparent in her voice. "How are you doing?"

"I'm great, Emma. I just wanted to thank you once more for bringing me here, and reuniting me with my family," she smiled to Robin. Emma's eyes rested in Robin, noticing his expression was as awkward as hers was. "What's his name?" she gestured towards the baby in the brunette's arms.

"This is Neal," Mary Margaret inclined herself to show the baby's face to Marian.

"He is beautiful," said Robin.

"You should make sure to dress him well… The weather has been tricky on the last couple of days." Neal's parents smiled at Marian's comment, but did not respond. "If you will excuse us," she said, and taking Robin's hand, directed him to another table. The Charmings exchanged a concerned gaze, but decided not to comment on Marian and Robin's apparently intact marriage.

The conversation in the Charmings' table continued for a while, until yet another couple interrupted them on their arrival at Granny's, this one a bit more excited than the last.

"Hello everyone!" called the familiar, high-pitched voice of the mermaid. With her hands clasped in Eric's and a wide smile in her face, she continued, "We wanted you to know that Eric and I are getting married, and all of you are invited to our wedding!"

"It will be two weeks from now, in the beach, at around 10am. You'd be welcome to join us for the ceremony, and for the party after wards," completed Eric, smiling, as excited as Ariel. After their announcement the whole place exploded in applause, many of the customers greeting them before the couple left towards another shop on the other side of the street.

"Are they really inviting people on the streets, going from store to store?"

"My thoughts exactly!" exclaimed Snow. "Why didn't they use pigeons?" Emma glanced at her. Was she joking?

"Yes, that would have seemed way less strange," said Emma, though Mary Margaret and David remained oblivious to the sarcasm behind her comment.

"Do you think Marian is right? Do you think we didn't dress Neal enough?" Mary Margaret bit her lip and glanced down at Neal, missing the pinched expression that emerged on Emma's face. "It is quite cold."

"He will be fine, Snow. You worry too much," said David, glancing at the quiet baby on his wife's arms.

Emma stared at the three of them, unaware of the sudden tightness in the muscles of her face and neck. "Mary Margaret… What are you planning for Halloween?" she asked.

"What was that, Emma?" her attention still focused at Neal.

"Halloween… It is next week. What is the plan?" The baby had begun his usual whining. His mother tried to calm him down.

"Oh, I don't know," she said, not having a chance to look at Emma when she spoke. "Charming, get the baby bottle."

"I thought since we are all back at Storybrooke and no one is trying to kill us now, we could take a break from all the tension. Give a party, maybe… Forget all the problems."

"You can plan something! I am sure everyone will love to have some extra fun."

"Yeah. Don't you want to help, too?"

"I would love to, Emma, but I don't feel ready to leave Neal with babysitters… In order to organize something like that I would need to have time, and I don't. You can do this! I always thought you had a talent for organizing events."

Emma raised her eyebrow, but did not say anything else. "Whatever. I'm not suggesting we do it, I just thought someone should."

"Emma…" interrupted a voice from behind them. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Hey… uh…" she stood up, facing who spoke to her.

"Tinkerbell," reminded her, though Emma's problem with the name was not forgetfulness.

"What's up?"

"The woman sitting with Robin… I don't remember seeing her around before, and she seems to be very intimate with him and his son. Who is she?" inquired.

"Oh, that's Marian, his wife."

"His _what_?" exclaimed. "I thought she was dead."

"Yes, well… She was supposed to be, but I kind of… brought her back from the past…" explained, with little confidence in her voice.

"Oh," the fairy frowned, watching Robin and his family over Emma's shoulder. "Are they… together?"

"I think so. They are always walking around the town with their son."

"They are not supposed to. They shouldn't be together!" protested. "Where is Regina? What is she doing about this?"

"I dunno. She won't talk to me," the sheriff averted Tinkerbell's gaze. "She blames me, thinks I shouldn't have brought Marian back."

"This isn't right! He is her only chance to be truly happy, to have true love in her life again."

"Listen… uh… _Tinkerbell_–," she shook her head at the name.

"I used pixie dust, and pixie dust never lies. He is her true love," she continued, almost talking to herself.

"Pixie dust… Right."

Though Emma was not a big fan of the 'some people are meant to be' thing, she felt guilt over having destroyed their relationship. The look in the brunette's eyes when she had realized what Emma did, remained imprinted into her memory, and she wanted it out as soon as possible.

"_You… You did this?" she had asked, meeting Emma's blank stare._

"_I just wanted to save her life…," she said, avoiding the mayor's eyes._

"_You are just like your mother, never thinking of consequences."_

"_I didn't know..." she blushed, feeling like a child caught up breaking the rules._

"_Of course you didn't."_

The fairy interrupted her thoughts, "When I first met Regina, in the Enchanted Forest she had the best of intentions. If you ignore the part where she felt like killing Snow White from time to time, of course." Emma smiled, relieved to be able to speak about the Evil Queen as something from the past. "In Neverland, that Regina was gone. She wears this Evil Queen mask, as if she was the worst of people, but the truth is she's scared. Every single time in her life in which she let herself fall in love, she suffered miserably. She loved her mother, she abused her; she loved Daniel, her mother murdered him; she loved her father, but murdered him for vengeance. After all this time, what she learned is that love, like magic, comes at a price."

"Love is weakness." Emma murmured, and Tinkerbell brows knitted together. "Her mother… She told me, once, that love is weakness. I imagine she tried to teach Regina the same lesson."

"Hm. Well… I should go," Tinkerbell waved at Emma and left.

Emma sat again side by side with Henry, passing an arm across his shoulder, zealous.

"When we walked back to the castle with the hourglass in our hands —,"

"We were facing this gigantic ogre, and Snow didn't have her bow with her —,"

"Charming suddenly pushes me into the floor. I first thought, _what a jerk, _but then –,"

"I did it because he threw a rock at her!"

Emma smiled at them, though she soon drifted off, her thoughts still on Regina. She wondered what the other woman was doing now, alone in that huge house. Was she thinking about Robin? About her past? Was she thinking about Emma, and planning a way to make her pay for what she has done?

_It's possible_, she thought, concerned. Though what disturbed her the most was the fact that her concern centered not upon what a vengeful Evil Queen could do to her, Emma, but to Regina herself.

* * *

**Enchanted For****est, Past**

The prince heard a noise coming from behind the bushes, and jumped, his heart galloping so hard inside his chest he could hear it beating.

He tightened his grip on the torch in his hands, and raised it as high as he could. The Enchanted Forest looked spookier at night. It was dense, full of animals, and dangers at every corner. However, the prince in question was actually hoping that there was really someone behind those bushes. _He is late_.

After staring at the bushes for a while, he recognized the figure of a tiny man hidden behind it. A funny, high pitch laugh penetrated his ears, and he knew his companion had arrived. "Rumpelstiltskin," the prince greeted.

Another laugh followed, "I was waiting for you, dearie," said the man, abandoning his hiding place. "I hear you are involved in a… little problem… and needs my help?"

"Yes. You hear correctly. I'm coming from Arendelle, and it is –"

"Cold?" completed Rumpelstiltskin.

"It's my fiancé's sister, the Queen of Arendelle. She has some dark magic in her, and she cannot control it. I want you to stop her."

"What sort of dark magic?" the tiny man asked in a curious tone.

"She can freeze everything."

"Yes, that's what I heard. But how did she acquire such magic?"

"She was born with it."

"She was?" he asked and laughed again. "How odd."

"Can you help us?"

"The question, dearie, isn't 'can I help you'. The question is, can you help me?" he laughed again. His body stiffened, and he clenched his fists. "All magic comes with a price, dearie. How do you plan to pay it?"

"In gold." He straightened himself up with a polite smile. "You can have as much as you want."

"Oh dear." Rumpel sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yet another one to offer me gold. Am I here to have my time wasted? I make gold. My help will cost a little bit more than that."

"What do you want?"

He took a step forward, and drummed his fingers on his chin, "What do I want?" Laugh. "I am not sure. How about I help you, and then, afterwards, I will tell you what I want. In other words, you will owe me a favor." The prince stared at Rumpelstiltskin, considering his proposal. The little man was smiling at him, his eyes fixed on the Prince's. "Do we have a deal?"

"Yes," Another laugh followed, and Rumpel jumped around excitedly.

"It was a pleasure to make business with you… Prince Hans."

Hans blinked, and the tiny man was gone. He was alone.

* * *

Emma joined Hook and Henry in their table at Granny's, noticing Hook had returned to his pirate clothes after they came back from their trip from the past. "Why the hell are you still dressed like that, anyway?"

"These are _mine_," replied him, "I use it because I like it."

"We are not in the Enchanted Forest anymore, Hook. You should use something more… normal."

"I enjoy my clothes, Swan, and will keep them."

"I wore a corset and dresses in the Enchanted Forest," she reminded him.

"Yes, but that was different. We could not stand out, we were in a mission."

"Consider yourself officially part of a new mission, then. Operation Jones," she turned to Henry, who was sitting by her side. "What do you think, kid?"

"Not bad. You are getting the hang of this. You keep practicing and I might even let you choose the operation's name once," replied Henry.

Emma lifted her eyebrows, smiling, "So you are accepting Operation Jones?"

"Not really."

"Why? What is wrong with it?" she asked.

Emma heard a loud sound of a door closing, and instinctively looked up to find where the noise had come from. Regina had just gotten out of her car and was walking towards Granny's, wearing a black shirt with a red scarf. Green eyes met brown, and Regina stopped abruptly. Her jaw dropped, and she turned away to leave.

"Operation _Jones _just can't be the best you can do, mom," finished Henry, but his mother was not listening anymore.

"I will be right back…" she said, her eyes fixed on the window. "Watch over him, Hook." Emma grabbed her coat and dashed outside, following Regina's quick pace down the street.

"Regina! Wait up!" No answer. "Don't run away!" Emma finally caught up with the brunet's rhythm.

"I am not running away, dear," replied her, "I am simply in a hurry."

_Lie, _thought Emma.

"I trust you are taking care of my son," said Regina.

"Our son…" corrected. "And yes, I am."

"But you are here…"

"Hook is with him."

"Oh. The pirate," she said with a voice full of disdain. "Of course."

"I know you don't like him, Regina, but he is my —,"

"Miss Swan," interrupted, "why are you following me?"

"I wouldn't need to follow you if you weren't running away."

"I am not," she frowned, "Miss Swan, I suggest you go find something else to do other than stalking behavior, or I will call the police."

"The police? I am the police. What do you need me to do for you, Madame Mayor?" asked Emma, a grin forming in her face. Regina stopped right away, and turned to face the blond.

"You are the police?" she lifted one eyebrow.

"I'm the sheriff," answered Emma, pointing to the badge in her pants.

"Oh, so you returned to your job. I am glad to see you are making yourself useful. You have so much energy… I can't even imagine how many lives you will be able to save now that you also possess the power to do so."

Emma took a deep breath, and threw her neck back, "That's what this is about?" she turned her eyes back at the brunet. "Regina, you can't possibly be mad at me for what happened with Marian."

"I never said such thing," said Regina, resuming her walk.

"Why are you being so defensive? After all we've been through together, haven't I proven to you I am on your side?"

"We were never on the same side, Sheriff Swan. The only side I am at it is Henry's and my own."

"I am also on Henry's side, Regina, so that makes us part of a team." Emma reached for Regina's arm with a gentle touch, just enough to make the brunet stop and turn to her. The mayor raised her eyebrows, mocking her, but Emma decided to ignore her expression. "Listen, I know you are angry…"

"Oh dear, you have no idea," she said, her smile dying to give space for a sneer.

"Regina, if you blame the few people who still believe in you, if you push them away, you will eventually end up alone."

"End up alone, _eventually?_" she raised her tone of voice, and gave a cold laugh. "I have _always _been alone. Which is why I was able to accomplish all my goals — because I was strong enough by myself, because I had power."

"I thought we were past the whole 'power' thing," said Emma, with a tiredexpression.

"And I thought the sheriff of a town would have enough work to keep her busy during the day, but instead, here you are, following me around, isn't that so, Miss Swan?" Emma rolled her eyes, and as Regina moved along, she followed. "Leave me alone,_" _urged.

"You are not okay, Regina," said Emma, her voice filled with concern.

"Why do you care?"

"Because I do."

_I always have. _

"I am sorry, Regina."

"I am sorry, too," she kept her fast pace, ignoring Emma's attempts to create eye contact. "There. You gave me your apologies for your stupid mistake." She smiled, sarcastically. "Now get the hell out of my way."

Emma opened her mouth and closed it again. _Rude_, thought as she watched Regina walk away. When she was almost back at Granny's, however, she found herself facing the brunette's car parked over the entrance of the diner. She shook her head in disbelief, _not running away, huh, Madame Mayor? Lie..._

* * *

**Enchanted Forest, Past**

The western and eastern parts of the Enchanted Forest were very distinct not only in terms of the climate and flora, but in terms of culture. A kingdom on the east, ruled by the feared King Al-Malik, for example, held very few – if any – similarities to the western kingdoms. Part of the reason for that was the lack of interaction between them, as they were separated by a gigantic desert that served as a barrier. King Al-Malik was very intelligent, but ruled with elitism. His kingdom was marked by an accentuated social inequality, for which he paid no attention, nor interest.

The King had no time to waste in thinking about such matters. In his kingdom, the tradition that the crown should be passed on father to _son_ was a cherished one. King Al-Malik, however, haven't managed to have any male children, and as the high age approached, his hopes to have one were down to zero. He had to content himself with finding a suitable husband for his older daughter, one that deserved the title of King and remained faithful to their family at all times.

"_I don't want to get married," Jasmine would say every time the subject appeared into their conversation. Women in her land and time were expected to be submissive, quiet, and unintelligent, but she refused to meet those expectations, "It's my life. I do not care about your traditions. You have other daughters; make them marry your future King, because I won't do it."_

_She had this old habit of escaping from her castle to avoid being told what to do, but her father would always find her and bring her back to her confinement. _

"_How can you possibly not be satisfied with your life? I can give you anything that you want. Anything. Do you want gold? Jewels? Dresses? A bigger room? I would find you a flying carpet, for god's sake, as long as it kept you here, where you belong," he shouted at her, his skin assuming a reddish tone._

"_You can give me so much, father, yet you deny me the one thing I want." _

"_And what in the hell is it?" he slammed his fist on the wall. "Tell me already!" _

"_Freedom." Her father gave her an exaggerated roll of eyes, and shook his head. No, Jasmine was not like other women her age. _

On that day, she had escaped from the castle once more, and now walked in the middle of a crowd of commoners, in a busy market. Even though she was far away from her land, she preferred to walk disguised in order to avoid having to escape, had her father managed to send a word to King Leopold asking him to keep an eye out for her. However, for people who knew her well, it was possible to recognize her under the brownish cloak she wore.

"Jasmine!" she turned around, recognizing the voice.

"Daniel!" her excitement matched his, as he placed an arm over her shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you _doing here, princess? Escaped from paradise again?"

"That castle is a prison."

"Why is it that I feel I heard that one before?" he put a hand in his chin. Jasmine rolled her eyes. "I am going to have a picnic with Regina today. I was just getting some food."

"Uuuuuh… Regina, huh?" she gave him a punch in the arm, "How is _that_ going?"

"Pretty well. She is completely in love with me, of course," he joked, with faked arrogance, "I imagine this handsome face is not easy to resist."

"You're so full of yourself. Have you proposed?"

"I am still trying to get some money to buy her a ring… I want to swipe her off her feet."

"I hope everything works out fine. You have been so happy since you two began seeing each other."

"She is more than I could ever hope for. I still don't know what she saw in me."

Jasmine replied, "Neither do I," and he was the one to give her a weak punch in the arm this time, making her stumble a little to the side.

"I want you to be there when we get married. I want your blessing."

"Oh, you can count on that. I wouldn't lose that opportunity for nothing in this world," assured him. "Now, let me help you preparing the picnic. If you want her to stay in love with your handsome face, you will need to take some flowers with it."

He smiled and let her help him prepare his romantic date. She used some money she got from her father to buy some flowers and food. When they finished he said, "I should be going now. Take care, Jasmine."

"I will."

"And please, do come back to the castle before your father realizes you were gone. I don't want him to hurt you again..." his voice became stern.

"Don't worry, Daniel. I can take care of myself," and before he could say anything else, she disappeared in a cloud of turquoise smoke.

She reappeared in a market similar to where she was before, the difference being that it was hotter and very dry. She was walking towards the castle when she spotted a man stealing apples from a shop while the owner tried – unsuccessfully – to get a monkey out of his back. Once the dark-haired man had filled a bag with apples, the monkey jumped from the owner's back into his, and he ran away from them and towards Jasmine.

_Really_ towards her.

Before she could manage to dodge, he had collided with her, falling into the ground. "_What the –," _

"Sorry!" he stood up and began running again.

Jasmine jumped on her feet, "No, you are not going anywhere." With a wave of her hand, the man and his monkey were in the air, surrounded by a turquoise smoke.

"Let me go!" he squirmed, trying to get rid of his restraints.

"Why were you stealing?"

He smirked, "It's none of your business, princess." Jasmine narrowed her eyes at him, and tightened her smoke's grip. "I can't breathe!" he said in a strangled voice, slamming his eyes shut.

"Why were you stealing?" repeated.

"You… are… crazy…" he was choking, so she released him a little bit, still keeping him under her spell.

"Tell me, and I will let you go."

"_I was hungry, okay?_" snapped. "And so was Abu."

She released them right away, and they fell into the ground. He tried to catch his breath, while his monkey gave him small pats on the back. "Oh, I see." Jasmine turned to the owner of the apples. "How much would those apples cost, sir? I will cover any of his expenses."

"Thank you, milady, your help is very much appreciated." Jasmine nodded in response and gave him the amount of money he asked of her. She turned back to the thief, who was now standing up and staring at her with his head tilted to the side.

"You paid the apples for me?"

"You swear you only stole because there was no other way?" he did not confirm, but smiled with false innocence. "What's your name?" she asked.

He ignored her question, "Why did you help me?"

"Your monkey is cute."

"His name is Abu."

"Yes, I figured that out. Though you still didn't tell me your name."

"Neither did you."

"I don't recall you asking."

He straightened himself up, "I'm asking now."

"I asked _first_," retorted, mirroring him and raising her head.

He laughed, "My, my, you are a tough little thing, aren't you?" she lifted her eyebrows. "Fine. My name is Aladdin," he offered her his hand.

"And mine is Jasmine," as her hand touched his, she felt an electrical current pass through her, and extended the handshake a bit longer than necessary. "I would say it's nice to meet you, but I guess the circumstances aren't ideal," she noticed he was massaging his ribs with his free hand, "I do hope I didn't hurt you with the –"

He let go of her hand and said, "Oh yeah, what the hell was that thing, anyways?"

"My apologies."

"It's okay, I'm not hurt."

"Good," she made a gesture towards the monkey on his shoulder, "What about him?"

"Oh, Abu? You don't need to worry about him. He is tough. We've been through tighter situations before. This is nothing."

She raised her eyebrows in a mocking expression, "It didn't seem like nothing when you were begging for help up there."

"I wasn't begging, I was simply requesting that you put me down."

She laughed, "Yes, sure you were. Are you going to be fine on your own?" he stared at her with a confusion expression. "Will you have to steal again tomorrow?" clarified.

"You think I can eat all of this in one night?" he gestured to the bag of apples lying on his feet. "No, I'll be fine for today."

"And then what happens next?"

"Listen, princess, things are complicated, alright? I have to feed Abu, and I have to…" he sighed, struggling with the words. "No one will give me any job because…Well, there isn't many things I can do…"

"There must be something."

"I'm a pretty good thief," she gave him a reprehensive look. "Listen, I understand why you are upset. Stealing is dishonest, and you want to stop it, feel good about yourself or something. If it makes you feel better, you can denunciate me to the castle. Tell them where I am, and what you saw. Just keep in mind that those people are merciless and cruel. They are going to tie me up to a stake and put me on fire, or… whatever it is they do. You don't know them."

"I know them better than you think," she said in an undertone.

"Yeah? Than do it. Tell them where I am. It's all up to you, princess."

"Stop calling me that," she warned him, in a severe voice. "Why trust me?"

"Because no matter what you decide, it won't make a difference."

"Really? Why?"

"Because they will never catch me. By the time you manage to say where I am, I'll be long gone," he grinned, "You were right before, you know. Everyone is good at something," he leaned forward, standing only a few inches from her face, "I am a good thief, and as all good thieves, I am really good at escaping from royalty," he winked at her and broke out. She laughed, and shook her head.

_Only because I will let you, Aladdin, _she thought as he disappeared into the corner of a building, _only because I will let you_.

* * *

"Did you see anyone?" the blond woman asked, receiving a head shake in response. "Did anyone see you?" her expression became stern, and she gazed at her guard, who shook his head once more. "Well done, Marshmallow."

She was sitting in a throne built in pure ice, wearing a long, sparkling dress that fitted perfectly into her body. An enormous magical snowman was standing beside her, his eyes fixed on the entrance door of the iced castle.

"The weather is rather bitter, Marshmallow, wouldn't you say?"

The snowman glanced at the slim woman with his wide yellow eyes.

"Do not anguish yourself, darling. There is no sense for distress," the corners of her mouth quirked upwards forming a wicked smile. "The cold never bothered me, anyhow."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Hey guys! I just wanted to let you guys know that I will probably be able to update on a weekly basis – maybe even twice a week if I am feeling inspired, haha.

About the Aladdin/Jasmine story… I just wanted to apologize if it seems a little disconnected from the rest right now… I promise it will all make sense and come together later! They are two of my favorite Disney characters, and I couldn't wait for them to appear in Once upon a time, so I had to include them here! I personally had lots of fun twisting their story up, and I hope you enjoy the results as much as I did.

Trigger Warning for violence… I'm not sure if the scene is detailed enough for this, but just in case…

Thank you for the follows and reviews! I appreciate it very much.

Enjoy chapter two!

**Disclaimer:** All the characters' belong to Once Upon a Time… Except for Elsa, Jasmine, and Aladdin, which are OC's inspired on the Disney versions.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**Enchanted Forest, Past**

Jasmine was walking in the busy market when she heard a voice shouting behind her, "There she is… The princess!"

She turned around, running as fast as she could, with a group of black knights at her trail.

_Damn! _She dashed into a pile of fruits when she tried to turn into a corner. She stood up, and spotted an open window at about 10 feet high, which she climbed, in the hopes the knights would not follow. She rushed to the other end of the small apartment, her lungs urging her heart to accelerate and satisfy its craving for oxygen. She jumped to the outside through a window, using magic to reduce the impact when she reached the ground. She put her brown cloak back on, and kept a fast pace towards the other side of the street.

The sound of several boots steps increased. A cold metal stroked her in the back of her head - she felt a sudden dizziness, and everything went dark.

When she woke up, she found herself resting in a soft surface, which she promptly recognized to be her bed at the castle. She tried to open her eyes, but the acute pain in her head increased with the attempt.

"Don't push yourself, sweetie," said a gravelly voice coming from the opposite end of the room. Jasmine did not need her sight to know whose it was.

"Father," she greeted.

"Jasmine, when are you going to stop with all this nonsense, love? Escaping from the castle and forcing me to bring you back by force? You behave like a child."

She rejected the pain, opening her eyes and sitting on the bed, "Because you treat me as such," she said, massaging her head where the knight hit her.

"It is the treatment you earned with your demeanor," replied the king, approaching Jasmine's bed. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and scratched an eyebrow. "I found you another suitor, a prince from a wealthy land. He will be the perfect husband for you."

With a high chin she said, "I am _not_ marrying anyone."

"We shall see."

He paced around the room, and Jasmine followed him with her eyes, anger building up inside her at the mere sight of him. "Your appearance is atrocious, Jasmine, where have you been?" she did not answer him, and he sat on the bed by her side. "Your clothes have stains, and your face is covered in _dust_…" he patted her face – perhaps with unnecessary strength – to remove the dirt. "Get yourself cleaned up. Prince George is waiting for you down stairs."

"I am not meeting him!" She did not have the intention to raise her voice, but she did. The King's sneer lasted a few seconds, and then he captured her chin between his fingers. His grip tightened as he brought her face closer to his. Her stomach writhed and she felt her palm began sweating, but held his steady gaze.

"You will do as you are told, or you will suffer the consequences."

"I will do no such thing. I am old enough to make decisions about my own future."

"Oh, please. You are nothing but a little girl, and you know nothing about life. I am your father, your king, and you shall obey me regardless of what you think is best. Do you understand?"

Jasmine's hands were shaking with a mixture of anger and anxiety, the sound of her heartbeat resonating in her chest almost painfully. She saw the fiery gleam in her fathers' eyes, and swallowed. _It is one of those days_. She knew what her courageous rebellion would cost her, but before she could contain herself, the words had already abandoned her mouth, "I am not a little girl, and you are not my king. I am not marrying Prince George, nor anyone else. You can't make me."

The last four words were Jasmine's undoing, and she knew it.

A sharp pain reached her jaw as his father's heavy hand slapped her in the face. "You are marrying him," he said, gazing down at her.

Still on the floor, she backed away to a corner, "I am not marrying him," repeated, her voice tight.

Hands took hold of her wrist, forcing her to stand up. "If you don't do it by your own accord," he said, his face inches from hers, "I will make you."

She could not find her voice to respond, but as her father did not encounter himself with an answer, he struck her face again.

"Because despite of what you might believe, darling, I _can _make you."

Though Jasmine had her magic, she had a very difficult time evoking it exactly when she needed the most – when she was drowning herself in panic. The King pushed her into the floor, and waited until she got up, before throwing her around, sending an acute pain to her arm as she collided with the stoned wall, flaying her skin. She sat on the ground, and felt the tears wetting her cheeks against her will. "I will stop, sweetie, when you begin to behave like the princess you are," he said.

In a last impetus of courage, she shouted, "Look at me, father!" Jasmine's messy hair, bloodied clothes, and face covered by marks were a sight with which her father had grown accustomed, thus, his expression did not change. "Do I look like a princess to you?"

For a minute, her heavy breathing and her galloping heart seemed to be the only sounds in the room. She clinched her teeth, staring at him.

"You remind me of your mother on our wedding night," he sneered, "She gave me a hard time as well, but in the end she learned her lesson. She became an excellent Queen."

"She was miserable!"

A gleam crossed his eyes as he said, "She had much more than she had ever deserved. Her family was in ruins when my father introduced me to her. The only thing they had was their name. If I hadn't married her she would have eventually died from hunger!"

"It didn't matter that you gave her a castle, dresses, and jewels, father. She never loved you," she said, her eyes burning with anger.

"I never said she did, but she was grateful for what she had. You, on the other hand…" his nose wrinkled, "you are incapable of gratitude even after everything I have done for you." he had her in his arms in a grasp so strong Jasmine knew his hands would leave a purple mark. "You are going to clean yourself, put the most beautiful of your dresses, and you are going to go down the stairs to meet your future husband. We are going to have dinner with him, and you are going to conquer him, as if your life depended on it. Because if you don't… Well, I might just as well make sure your life does, indeed, depends on it. Do you understand?"

The corner of Jasmine's mouth twitched, remaining closed. "_Do you understand_?" he repeated, in a low voice.

"Yes, father."

The king turned around and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Jasmine remained in the same place, not sure she quite remembered how to move. Her heart was still pounding on her chest as if to break out and leave that castle by it's own - escape and never return. _Much like what I wished I could do, _she thought, cleaning the blood in her mouth. Opening her closet, she searched for a dress that could please both Prince George and her father. There was so much violence and abuse one could take, and after suffering with it for her entire life, Jasmine was certain, each day more, that she was about to reach her limit.

* * *

**Storybrooke, Present**

"Sit," said Regina.

The long desk that used to be constantly organized was a mess. She tried to clear it from the absurd amount of paper spread on the surface, but soon gave up and sat down.

Rumpelstiltskin, in his sluggish pace, walked towards the chair in the desk, and sat facing her. "What is so important that you needed me here with such urgency, your majesty?"

"I wanted to congratulate you, dear. I heard Belle officially became Mrs. Gold."

"Indeed she did."

"Is she with you? I was hoping I could offer her my condolences."

"How thoughtful," he said, giving her a smile full of irony. "But I'm afraid she isn't here. If you had gone to my shop, perhaps you could have seen her."

Even though the walk from his antiques shop to the mayor's office was not long, his slow pace and lack of interest in speaking to Regina made it seem excruciatingly lengthy. Besides, it seemed rather inconsiderate of her to call him instead of going there herself – insofar as she had a car and he did not.

Well, they were talking about Regina after all, so what was he expecting?

"Hm," was all she said, avoiding his eyes and pretending to organize the table again.

A silence filled the room, the only sound being the movement of the papers and their respiration.

At last, Regina spoke, "I want to talk to you."

"So I was told."

"A while ago, you provided Snow White with a Potion of Forgetfulness," it was not a question.

Rumple narrowed his eyes, "May I ask how you acquired such knowledge?"

"I am a resourceful woman. I have my ways."

"Hm," his fingers glided through the staff in his hand in a distracted manner. "You are correct. I did give her such potion. Why do you ask?"

"I want you to make one for me."

A laugh followed.

"I thought I taught you how to make this kind of spell, dearie. What… Is the hero inside you blocking your ability to use dark magic?"

She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. '_Patience, Regina, patience.'_

"Of course not, you idiot. My magic is just fine. You did teach me, and I learned. I want a _different _type of potion, however." Rumple furrowed his eyebrows. He did not recall knowing any forgetfulness potions other than the one he taught her. "I want something that can make one stop feeling _without_ forgetting."

"Not possible."

"Time-travel spells weren't possible either, but here we are," said Regina, crossing her legs.

"Oh," he laughed. "So that's what this is about."

"…"

"Marian."

"Can you help me?"

"Now, now, your majesty. Have you forgotten who you are talking to? I would think after so many years of doing business with me you would know what the right question is."

"What do you want?" said Regina with a roll of eyes.

"Now that's better." He leaned forward supporting his weight on his staff. "What do I want? Hm. Give me some time to think. I will contact you as soon as possible."

In an abrupt movement, she placed her hands on the table and stood up, diminishing the distance between the two of them. "You… are… impossible."

He laughed at her again. "Am I?"

"You are enjoying yourself aren't you, Rumple? Well, you won't be for long. You might love to play games with people and twist everything around so you will get what you want," her lips suddenly turned into a wide smile, "but allow me to take the amusement out of your face, dear. I have a better idea."

She approached him, leaned down and gently touched his shoulder, feeling Rumple's muscles tighten under her hands.

"What about," she said with a voice so low it could be a whisper, "…I don't tell Belle about your little secret, and in exchange, you give me the potion?"

His cheek twitched, and he watched as she returned to her chair. "Whatever do you mean, dearie."

"Oh, I think you know exactly what I am talking about." She reclined in the chair and let her hands rest quietly on her lap. "I am sure Belle would be thrilled if she found out the dagger she owns…" dropping her voice even lower, she whispered, "…is fake."

Rumple jumped on her, the glass table standing between them. "Belle has my dagger."

Regina gave a low laugh, "Does she? You see, my theory sounds much more convincing to me. Giving your dagger – the one thing that gives you all your power, and the one thing that can turn you into ashes – to _Belle? _Well, my dear, that's just idiotic. Even for you."

Rumple stared at her, his nostrils flaring and his lips tightened together. _"_Now," she continued, "if you don't want me to innocently suggest her to test just how much control over you she has, you better do what I am asking of you."

"You know nothing about me, nor about my dagger."

"We both know that's not true, Rumpel. I told you, I am a resourceful woman."

Rumple held her steady gaze. A smile spread through his face slowly, _"Huh… _I see._" _he murmured.

"_What?" _She sneered at him. "What are you so happy about?"

"Not happy, dearie, amazed."

"At what? The decoration of my office?" she said with an exaggerated amount of irony in her tone.

His grin only widened, "I am amazed to see the Evil Queen is back."

"The Queen will suffice, my dear."

Another laugh, "Oh, yes, I almost forgot. You are playing hero now. Should I add "good" to your name, your majesty?"

"Let's focus on our pending business, shall we?"

"As you wish. So the potion for your silence? That's the deal you want to make?"

"Yes."

"I do need to warn you, it might take a while to finish it. It was never done before. To brew this potion will require extra research, and in this world it certainly will be much harder to gather the ingredients I need."

"I am aware of it. How long, then?"

"I am not sure… Oh, I also have one last warning, your majesty. Though I believe this is a something you already are familiar with."

"_What?"_

He straightened himself up, and did a fancy gesture with his hands, speaking with his high-pitched Rumpelstiltskin voice, _"_All magic… comes with a price._"_ Regina sneered and looked away."Are you ready to pay it?"

"What is it you are not telling me, you little imp?"

"It's your potion, dearie. If you don't know… Why would I?"

"One day, Rumpelstiltskin, I will kill you."

Another laugh, "Oh yeah?" his head fell to one side. "To whom are you going to turn, then, when you need help with your dirty work, your majesty? Snow White and Prince Charming?"

"Do. We. Have. A. Deal?"

He pointed to his chest and said, "That's _my_ line." He stood up and offered her his hand, "And yes, we have a deal."

She ignored his hand, which was promptly retracted, and feeling her phone vibrate inside her pocket, she opened it to read the message:

**Something happened with Robin. I need you in the hospital. Now.**

**-E.**

* * *

**Enchanted Forest, Past**

"She is gone, your majesty."

King Al-Malik shot a stern gaze at the knight. "What?"

"We searched through the entire castle. The Princess is not here."

"Unbelievable. A hundred men or more in this castle, and you cannot keep your eyes in _one little girl," _he shouted. "You are a mass of incompetents."

The King paced in circles, scratching his fingers rather compulsively.

_Why is Jasmine escaping so much? Where in the hell is she going? How is she finding a place to sleep? What about food? _

At times, she would stay away for days in a roll, and he had no idea how she manage to go about by herself. Maybe he was concerned about his safety. For all he knew, she could be dead.

"This is out of hand," he said in an undertone, "I need to get this girl under control."

"Excuse me for intruding, your majesty, may I offer you help?" said the man who was still waiting for the King's signal of dismissal.

"How can you help me?"

"There might be someone who could help you with your issue regarding her Royal Highness, The Princess."

"I am listening."

"In the western kingdoms, where I was born and raised, there is a man known for exchanging favors. He is a powerful magician, and always keeps his word. If a deal is made with him, no matter what you ask, you will get it – as long as you pay your price. I am sure he can find a solution for your problem."

"Who is this man?"

"The Dark One. He also goes by –,"

"_Rumpelstiltskin," _a high-pitched voice came from behind the King.

He startled, backing away from the tiny man. "Who are you?"

With a tired expression, and repeated, "_Rumpelstiltskin," _and bowed.

"How did you find us?"

"Does it matter?" the King did not answer. "You want to make a deal with me."

"Can you give me what I want?"

"Of course, dearie!" exclaimed, pointing a finger up, in a matter-of-fact expression. "Can _you _present me with something _I_ want?"

"I certainly must possess something of value to you."

He laughed, startling the King, "You most certainly do."

"…"

"If I hear correctly, you wished me to regain control over your sweet princess for you, isn't that so?"

"Jasmine is not so keen about her position in the royal family. I need her to marry a man, but she refuses to do so. She escapes the castle constantly, and it cost me my men, time, and patience to bring her back. I want to keep her here, under my watch, at all times. Is such thing possible?"

"Of course it is! Though your daughter, in particular, will need something more… extreme." He sat on the throne, and the King had to bite his tongue in order not to snap at him. "She is a powerful sorcerer."

He clenched his jaw, and limited himself to saying, "Yes, she is."

"This might be your lucky day. I have just what you need."

Rumple made a wave with his hand, and a purple smoke brought to them a golden lamp, which he offered to the King.

"This lamp is enchanted. It will entrap the closest magical being using their own powers to generate a barrier spell. The lamp absorbs their magic, so there is no escaping."

"You don't understand. I do not need her trapped in a pot… I need her to be able to please her husband, the future King. She is of no use to me if she is locked up inside this thing."

"Oh, this doesn't only imprisons her. Once inside, Jasmine will have no choice but to obey the owner of the lamp. The lamp creates a connection between her magical energy and her container, in a way she _has _to respond to the wishes of whoever possesses it. For you to see her, you only need to scrub. She will not be able to hide, nor escape… She will be yours."

"What do you want in exchange?"

"You said you are in the search for a husband." He nodded. "I might know the perfect man for the job. Let him marry Jasmine, and the lamp is all yours."

The King reached for the handle. There was a laugh.

"Do we have a deal?"

"Show me this husband," was all he could say.

For now, his problem seemed to have just found the perfect solution. Like it or not, Jasmine was about to get married.

* * *

**Storybrooke, Present**

The black Mercedes parked, and Regina stepped out of it, rushing inside the hospital. When she passed through the double doors, the first thing she saw was the sheriff, sitting in the waiting room. With a tightness in her chest, she walked towards the blond, the sound of her heels calling Emma's attention, making her look up from her phone and stand up.

"Regina," she murmured.

"Where is Robin? What happened?" she said in a tight voice.

"We don't know just yet. Doctor Whale is doing some tests…" Emma leaned forward and tried to touch Regina's arm, but her body stiffened and she pulled herself away, running her hands through her hair. "He thinks it might be something with the heart. Robin talked about having some chest pain before he fainted."

_Ugh,_ her stomach twisted, and she placed a hand loosely in her abdomen. Emma noticed the movement and asked, "You' okay?" but did not try to touch her again.

"Is he awake?"

"Yes."

"Can I see him?" Emma glanced towards the room, than back at Regina, opening and closing her mouth without emitting any sound. "_What?" _

"You might want to be nice to him. He is still weak."

"What do you think I was going to do, Sheriff, kill him in his sleep?" she said, exasperated.

"I'm just saying… You might want to save intense conversations for later. This isn't the time to discuss relationships, nor anything like that."

"I am aware of that."

"…"

"I won't do anything, Miss Swan!"

"Alright... Follow me."

Regina's legs almost betrayed her when she crossed the door of Robin's room, and she stumbled. Robin had wires spread across his chest, and his head was involved in bandages. Regina had never seen him so vulnerable. It was excruciating to watch. Emma, who was right behind her, grabbed her arm just in time, and helped her regain her balance. He glanced at them through a small opening of eyes, and smiled. "Regina… You came."

She approached the bed with heavy steps, her wide eyes fixed on it. "Of course I came, you idiot," she said, taking his hand between her fingers, and sitting at his bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Freezing."

"Oh…" Regina promptly removed her jacket, and put it on him, over the sheets. "What happened to you…? To your head?"

"I fainted. Doctor Whale thinks I knocked my head on the ground."

"Does it hurt?"

"Like hell."

"I am sorry to hear that," she looked over at Emma. "What else did Whale say?"

Emma took a step forward and crossed her arms, "All he said was that he needed more tests, and would be back as soon as the results came out."

"Perhaps I should go rush him…" she turned to the door, but the sheriff blocked her way.

"Things don't work like that, Regina. This might take a while, be patient."

"What are you even doing here, Miss Swan? Do you really need to remind me of your unwanted presence everywhere I go?"

"I am Sheriff, Regina."

'_Of course'. _

"Besides, I didn't follow you here. I called you."

"Yes, you did call me."

Noticing her tensed muscles and crossed arms, Emma asked, "Do you want me to leave?" Regina's expression to her spoke by itself. "Alright, then. I'll give you too a moment alone. I will come back later for some questions, ok?"

Robin nodded, and she left.

"Please tell me you are not blaming her for what happened," he said as soon as the door closed.

'_Of course I am'._

"Of course not."

"Won't she be upset that you asked her to leave?"

"What? No… That's _us._ This is how we communicate – we fight. She understands," she took in a deep breath and averted Robin's gaze. "She understands _me_."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I know Miss Swan quite well, dear. We've been through a lot together – two curses, trips to other realms, raising a child... After spending that much time trying to destroy someone, you ended up developing a very special relationship."

"You like her, don't you?"

"Miss Swan?" she waved her hand around, dismissing his comment. The laugh that followed was way too forced, and Robin lifted his eyebrows suggestively, making her stop. She confessed, "I don't _dislike_ her, per se… Not anymore, that is."

"Do I need to be worried about her?" he joked.

"Who? _Emma_?"

An image popped into her head automatically.

"_Do I need to be worried about you, Miss Swan?"_

"_Absolutely not."_

She swallowed thickly, "Absolutely not."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," said Robin.

"What happened?" asked the woman, rushing towards the bed, and sitting beside him. She spotted Regina, and asked Robin, in a disdainful tone "What is she doing here?"

"I am here because I want to," Regina replied before he could say anything, affronted to be treated with such disrespect.

"She is my…" he cleared his throat, "…friend, Marian."

"Yes, Marian," her eyes remained fixed on Robin's. "I'm his _friend._"

"…"

"I see." Marian walked towards him, and placed a hand in his forehead. "You are so cold…"

'_Would Henry be mad if I ripped her heart out? Who knows, perhaps his rules only apply to Emma and the Charmings', _thought Regina, before she could stop herself. Even though she was not sure about the feelings she had for Robin, she knew that Marian's hand on his face wasn't evoking good emotions.

She smiled as a picture of her killing Marian formed in her mind. Such a simple solution for such an annoying problem. Unaware of her own movements, she took a step forward into Marian's direction.

_Stop it, Regina. She is Roland's mother. _

She did have the voice of conscience inside her, after all. Even though she often did not listen to it.

_Robin would never forgive you. _

"Where's Roland?" she asked, in an attempt to distract herself from her thoughts.

"Who?" Marian still watched over Robin with an empty stare.

Regina furrowed her eyebrows, "Why, your _son._"

Marian's lips parted slightly for a second, and her cheeks assumed a reddish tone. "Oh! Yes, Roland. He… Uh… I left him with a friend. She will care for him."

"I thought you were new around here," said Regina, her eyes narrowing. She paced around the room, staring at the other woman.

"Yes, the people of Storybrooke are very receptive."

Regina gave a slow nod. "What's your friend's name?"

"Sorry?"

"Who is watching over Roland?"

"…"

"I am just curious, dear," Regina grinned, sensing the other woman's nervousness.

Marian shrugged, "Does it matter?"

"Is it a secret?"

"Eleanor. Her name is Eleanor."

"Who is Eleanor?" asked Robin, but the two women ignored him, staring fixedly at each other.

"How odd, I don't recall anyone with such name in Storybrooke."

"Oh, imagine that," her lips formed a smile that was not able to hide the sneer behind it. "This town is bigger than it seems, dear."

_Perhaps it is not big enough for both of us. _

"You are friend of Robin's, then," she began, changing topics, "Were you close?"

Regina's expression turned into a wide grin, "Oh, we were close."

Robin blushed, trying to conceal his face from them. He had not told Marian about how intimate his relationship with the Evil Queen was, partly because he did not want to.

Another knock on the door, and Emma was back in the room. "Hey. I needed to ask some questions, if you don't mind." Neither of the women in the room moved, and Emma approached the bed.

"Sure, ask away."

"Do you remember anything that happened before you fainted?"

"I was walking in the woods, trying to clear my head. I was… distracted. I was thinking about…," he glanced at Regina, "many things. Next thing I remember is waking up here. I didn't see anything."

"Is there any other detail? A different smell, any pain, a noise, anything at all?"

"I felt pain in my heart, but that was all."

"Did you see anyone, or hear anything before you were attacked?"

"No."

"Alright, Robin. I will leave you to rest, okay?" She turned to Regina and Marian, "Whale told me he needs to speak with his emergency contact."

Both women stood up.

"Only one of them," said Emma.

"I am his wife."

"Robin, who do you think should go?"

He bit his lips, looking from one woman to the other, "Are you sure they can't go both, Emma? Please…"

"Fine, whatever."

He mouthed a "thank you" to her, and she smiled back, while Regina and Marian followed her out of the room. Emma guided them towards the end of the corridor, and they entered a tiny, dim room full of panels with x-ray images.

Whale was standing in its center, holding a thick chart in his hands, "Which one of you is responsible for Mr. Hood?" he asked.

"I am." "Me."

"Right. Uh… The tests came back, and there is something you need to see." He gestured towards the light panels in the wall, where Robin's x-ray images were.

"This is his heart," he pointed to one of the pictures.

Regina took a good look at where Doctor Whale's finger was, and noticed its' surroundings were opaque. "This shouldn't be there."

"I didn't know you had a medical background, Regina," he said.

"I don't need to be a doctor to know how a heart x-ray looks like. I've seen these before."

"Well, you were correct. This is not normal. I don't know what it is."

"_What do you mean you don't know what it is?_" with her eyes burning, she ran her hands through her hair again. "What kind of doctor are you?"

"Regina, please. You know that this is not a normal context."

"What do you mean?"

"For one, I saw your son die because of a poison that didn't contain one single neurotoxin. Then I saw him come back to life with a kiss in the forehead. This…," he pointed to the panel, "is no heart disease. It's… magic."

"Magic?" asked Marian, leaning forward, and crossing her arms over her chest. "What kind of magic?"

"I was hoping you would have an answer for that… Regina. Have you ever seen this before?"

"Not through an x-ray."

Without a warning, she went back to the corridor, passing through Emma Swan and into Robin's room. The others followed her. She rushed to the bed, "Excuse me, dear, I will take a look at your heart now," she told him, "But it will be back in your chest in no time."

"_Wait, what?_"

Her hand pierced in his chest evoking a groan of pain in him. Regina tried to reach the heart, feeling the wetness – but not the usual heat – of his body. However, her hand encountered with a hard substance which she could not trespass. Frowning, she removed her hand. "I can't reach it. There is a barrier around the heart. My magic couldn't break through."

"What is going on? What is wrong with my heart?" he asked in a hoarse voice, almost inaudible.

"What now?" asked Marian.

"Perhaps we can get through the barrier with a surgery?" Whale suggested.

"Of course not. If I could not reach it with magic, you won't be able to reach it with surgery. Besides, you dated Mary Margaret once; I don't trust your judgments. You are not cutting him open, Whale."

"What do you suggest?"

"We need help, we need more magic. And there is only one person in this town that could be better at magic than I am."

"Right," said Whale. "Let me guess…"

* * *

"What happened?" asked Emma, seeing the expression on their faces when they left the room.

Regina was the first to answer, "This is none of your business, Sheriff Swan," while she walked towards the exit, with Emma following her from close by.

"Robin's heart was hit by some kind of magic," answered Marian. "We think Rumpelstiltskin might know what is going on."

"You are going to his shop now?"

"Yes."

"I am coming with you."

"You are not going anywhere, Sheriff." Intervened Regina. "Your job is to find out who was responsible for Robin's attack. Questions concerning his health are to be addressed by Doctor Whale and me. Please, stay out of the way."

"No, I am coming. I asked my questions already, and I think understanding what exactly Robin has will help us knowing who we are dealing with."

"Your help won't be necessary, Sheriff."

"Why do you keep avoiding me?"

She shrugged, "I simply dislike your presence."

"I thought we were supposed to be friends now, Regina."

"You thought wrong," she retorted with a deadpan tone.

Emma threw her arms around in the air, exasperated. Why was it so hard to speak to Regina without feeling this much frustration, breathlessness, and exhaustion?

"The hell with it, I don't need your permission," Regina shot her a fiery stare, "I'm coming anyways."

The sound of the her heels hitting the floor mercilessly increased, and Emma had to make an effort to keep up with her pace. "Do whatever you please," shesaid and stepped outside through the double doors.

* * *

**Enchanted Forest, Past**

"Jasmine! Where were you?"

"It does not matter, does it? I am back, now," she said, passing through her father without looking at him.

He followed her towards the stairs, "You are not allowed to leave the castle without my consent."

"I don't need your permission."

She tried to enter her room, but he took hold of her wrist. She noticed the vein in his forehead was back, and knew it was time to stop herself from spitting words without thinking first. "I am tired of your insolence," he shouted, "I am going to teach you to have manners, you little piece of –,"

"What a great way to teach me how to have manners, father!"

_Damn… Shut up, Jasmine._

He had no more patience for that – the rest tiny bit of it was used up last days while he waited for his daughter's return. He raised his hand to her, and she closed her eyes, waiting for a punch that didn't come. Strangely enough, he had managed to stop himself in mid-action.

"I do what I do because I am the King, and our kingdom needs a princess."

"That is not a reason for you to hurt me. You do not have the right," she intended to sound confident, but her voice was

"I have every right."

"You have nothing. Not the love of your dead wife, not the trust of your people… Above all, not me. You lost me a long, long time ago."

"My kingdom supports me."

"No, they fear you."

"Out of respect."

"I know your people better than you do, father, and I know what I am talking about. Your kingdom despises you."

"You might be full of words, Jasmine, but you do not have grounds to speak to me like that. Outside of this castle, and without your last name, you are nothing more than a little girl. You speak in a loud voice, but I shall teach you to keep your silence."

She kept her distance, and crossed her arms. With him it was a constant battle of wills, where retreating signified an instant loss. In the moment she let go of her cause, he would make her a prisoner of that castle forever.

"I will not be controlled, _your majesty_. I am not a piece in one of your chess games."

"You might be right," he shrugged, "but I _am _the King…"

He opened the lid of the lamp.

"…I will only lose when I am dead."

The golden object in his hands vibrated, and he let it fall into the ground. With the lamp wide open, an enormous green vortex materialized out of thin air, creating a penetrating sound that made both Jasmine and the King gasp and step back. The green smoke was becoming increasingly turquoise.

It was drilling energy out of her and into the lamp, making her weaker and weaker by the minute. Her chest felt heavy, constricted with apprehension. The loud noise coming from the winds was unpleasant to the point of hurting her ears. She felt as if the air around it was crushing her head tight, and she could barely form coherent thoughts.

When the smoke turned into full turquoise, her legs became numb, and though she tried to resist, she could not help but fall into the ground at once.

The energy coming from the lamp reached for her feet and dragged her through the floor. Her eyes met her father's, and he watched her being sucked into nothingness.

Silence.

The vortex had disappeared in a second. The King blinked, staring at where he last saw his daughter. He focused on the irregular pounding in his ears.

He glanced at the lamp.

He could not hear anything, but he was sure Jasmine was screaming at him all sorts of insults, in the emptiness of her prison, her cheeks wet with tears that, once more, were a result of his actions.

* * *

"Regina," said Rumple, "I didn't expect seeing you for a second time today."

She rushed to the glass balcony where he was. "I need your help."

"Again, your majesty? I thought we had already made our deal."

She shot him an angry stare, "Can't you be discreet about our agreements when in company of others?" she whispered, between clenched teeth.

"My apologies. How can I help?"

"Robin was attacked… In the woods. His heart seems to be involved in some sort of barrier. Whale says it is not medical matter," said Marian.

"I tried to take a look at it by ripping it off, but I couldn't."

"You mean his heart was taken?" he asked.

"I mean my magic could not break through the barrier, whatever it was."

"Oh." said Rumple, frowning.

"I also felt no heat," said Regina, with a thick voice, "It was… peculiar."

Rumple's smile died, and his expression turned suddenly dark. "He was cold inside?"

"Yes, that's what I just said, _aren't you listening_?"

"There is someone in my past that had magic capable of such thing… But she is long gone."

"How long?" asked Regina, narrowing her eyes.

He grabbed a golden compass in one of the shelves, and began cleaning it with a handkerchief. "Not long after Snow White met Prince Charming," answered.

"Crap," murmured Emma. "That's when Hook and I went into the past. Do you think we could have brought her with us without knowing?" Regina shot her a death stare, and crossed her arms, refraining from saying the "I told you so" that was stuck in her throat.

"Did you ever try to make contact with me while you were in the Enchanted Forest?" he asked.

"We did. You said you would help us, but then you locked us up in a vault and…"

With a stern tone, he said, "It has to be her."

"Who the hell are you talking about?" asked Regina.

"The Snow Queen, of course."

"No!" she exclaimed, in disbelief. "You cannot be serious!"

"Wait a second. Don't tell me…," began Emma. Even after everything she had witnessed, it was always strange for her to find out yet another fairytale character of her childhood existed in her native land. "Are we talking about _Elsa_?"

"_Queen _Elsa, my dear. Trust me, Sheriff Swan, one day your disregard for royalty will end up costing your life."

A memory of an encounter she had with the Evil Queen popped on Emma's head immediately. _'Show some respect,' _Regina had said, '_It's your majesty.' _

Gosh, the woman had been positively terrifying – and hot as hell – in that outfit.

Emma somehow managed to get her attention back to their conversation, ignoring the warmth that spread across her face at the thought of Regina in Evil Queen Mode.

She caught Rumple in the middle of his speech, "If this is true," he said, "and the Snow Queen is really in town, we have a giant problem in hands."

"I thought Elsa was one of the good guys," said Emma.

"The Snow Queen was a fair ruler once, and yes, you can say she was one of the good guys, Miss Swan, however, living inside a cramped space – like her imprisonment – for too long, without having any contact with society, can make you go insane. I suspect her intentions are far from good, especially if she finds out I am here," said Rumple.

"Her problem is with you, then. She won't hurt anyone else, right?"

"The fact that she might not intend to be hostile, does not mean she is not a threat. She is not like Rumple or me, Sheriff Swan. Her magic is something she was born with, it is not like dark or light magic. When you have magic by birth, there is not much control over it. She would still be dangerous."

"Let's find her."

"Find her?" Rumple laughed.

Regina shook her head, and clicked her tongue "What part of the 'she would be dangerous' you are failing to understand, Miss Swan?"

"Searching for her wouldn't be wise, dearie. You had better think of hiding from her, and her rage… Though she could be what you call 'one of the good guys', she always had quite a temper," said Rumple. He glanced at a window, a hint of amusement dancing on his face, "So unless you have found a way to contain her magic, I would suggest you do not get near her at all."

"…"

She snapped her fingers, and widened her eyes "We could use your box! The one you used to capture Pan," exclaimed.

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head, "Elsa could easily break through that box, Miss Swan. We need to find something stronger. We need to find it soon. The longer she stays here, the higher the chances that she will lose control for good, destroying this city and everything in it."

* * *

Elsa heard the sound of heels hitting the iced floor, and turned to the door, prepared to throw ice arrows at the intruder.

"It's just me," said the woman.

"Oh," Elsa relaxed, letting the arrows fall into the ground. "I wasn't expecting you so early."

"Me neither, but something happened." She walked gracefully towards the center of the room, stopping a few meters away from the blond. "It appears you decided to take a walk around the forest today."

"You heard that, huh?" The Queen made a gesture to the snowman standing beside her, and said, "Marshmallow, Vin*."

"You stroke someone with your ice."

Elsa smirked, "Indeed I did."

"What have I told you?" she exclaimed, nearing the other woman. "Do not. Leave. The castle. There is something I need to do before you begin doing your thing, and I can't do it if they are all dead…" the brunet sighed, "It would take too long."

Marshmallow returned with two glasses of red wine, which it handed to Elsa, and then to her visitor. "Yes, yes. You need to find a shiny thing or whatever… I do not care, darling. I have plans of my own."

"Don't forget who brought you here, dear."

"I will fulfill my part of the deal, don't be concerned. We are friends, after all," said Elsa, raising her glass, "Skål*."

Her visitor copied the gesture before taking a sip from her cup, "If you need to practice your magic, I can bring you some targets, but do not go looking for them yourself. You don't know anyone here; you could hurt the wrong people in the wrong time."

"Why are you so distressed? It was simply one man."

"It wasn't just one man. You stroke my husband."

"Oh… Did I?" Elsa grinned, giving her empty glass to Marshmallow. "Sorry, darling, I was not aware you were married. I will be careful next time. Is there anyone else I shouldn't strike?"

"I will bring your targets to you. You concentrate on preparing our way out of here."

"I am having a hard time understanding you, darling. After all the trouble to come here you are going back to the Enchanted Forest?"

"I want to destroy someone… And for that I need to be there. I need to have her in her castle, while I rule over her people… I want her to watch it all happening from close by. I want her to see me win."

"You are wasting your life over this woman. You should forget about her and take care of your own affairs."

"My life, my business, dear."

"Well, it was just a suggestion, darling. You are free to do whatever you want – as long as you keep your word to me." she sat back on her chair, and crossed her legs, leaving her arms resting gracefully on the armchair. "I, too, expect you to fulfill your part in our deal."

"Don't worry, Elsa, I will take you to your little sister."

"And I will help you destroy yours."

They spent a few moments in silence. The brunet slowly finished the content of her glass, while she let her eyes go around the room. _What a fine work that room was_. For a castle entirely made of ice, it was surprisingly full of details.

"How is it you are called in this world again? I always forget. It's such an insignificant name…" said Elsa.

"Marian, dear. Here I go by Marian."

"Oh, yes." She wrinkled her nose, "That..."

"It's exactly the one I need," Marian replied, giving her empty glass to Marshmallow, and walking away.

* * *

**A/N: **1*Vin = Wine in Norwegian

2* Skål = Cheers in Norwegian.

At least so it says on Google Translate. :P


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Hey guys, how are you doing?

It was pointed out in one of the reviews that the story isn't reading as SQ… So I just wanted to make everything clear. Though Outlaw Queen is a thing in the beginning, it will disappear completely pretty soon, I promise! I just thought that any feelings Regina could have for Robin should be addressed since she was in a relationship with him after all. Captain Swan is also in place now, but that is also going to go away. I tried to put that on the summary when I began the fanfic, but it didn't fit on the character limit. I apologize for any misunderstanding…

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**Storybrooke, Present**

She hesitated, facing the light brown wood of Doctor Hopper's office door. After she found herself having a drink in the middle of the morning, Regina had decided something needed to be done about her unbalanced emotional state, and Archie had always been the one person who was able to listen to her without any judgments.

Staring at the door in front of her, however, she was not so sure of what to do. Did she even know what she was feeling?

The door opened, leaving her hand standing in mid-air.

Archie stumbled, about to collide with her. "Regina? Can I help you?"

_Yes. _

She shook her head, "No."

He blinked. "What brings you here, then?"

"I… uh…"

He granted her a deliberate lowering of the head, studying her expression through the lenses of his glasses. "Would you like to come in? You seem like you need to talk," he gestured inside and flung the door open.

_I am here already, _she thought, walking past him and inside the office; _let's just get this finished. _

"Have you been with Henry lately?" he asked, while Regina sat down in the left corner of the ebony couch.

"Not as much as when he lived with me, but yes. He comes to sleep at my house in the weekends… Sometimes."

"I am sorry to hear you can't get to spend as much time with him as before."

"It's okay. I brought this all upon myself. If I hadn't been so hard on him when he was younger, maybe he would have never even go searching for his birth mother in the first place."

"You mean Emma." She confirmed with a lifting of her eyebrows. "But you are not here to talk about Henry, are you? I heard you and Robin were having some issues."

"It doesn't matter," said Regina in a dead voice, "We are no longer in a relationship."

"What happened?"

"You know very well what happened," her tone was sharp when she spoke, "You were there."

"Yes, but I want to hear it from you."

She clicked her tongue in annoyance, and crossed her arms over the emerald purse in her lap. "Nothing major. We talked, and decided it was time for us to end it all." He waited, patiently, forcing her to elaborate it a little more. "Alright. Hook and his girlfriend brought Marian, his formerly dead wife, back from the past. Robin and I talked after they had found each other. He said he wanted to be with her – which is fine, I understand – and we broke up. "

"How are you feeling about not being with him anymore?"

"The house is quieter now," she said with eyes on the floor. "But it is odd. I expected to miss him a lot, and…"

"And you don't?"

She slowly shook her head in agreement, "I care about him, however—,"

"Do you love him, Regina?"

_Love is a strong word. _

"Don't you remember what I told you about the fairy? Robin is my soul mate."

"I am much more interested in what _you_ think, than what Tinkerbell says."

She squirmed in her seat, and her fingers drummed on her arms in a hurried rhythm. "You seem upset," he noted.

"I am just nervous."

"About?" Her eyes followed Pongo as he walked from his bed on the corner under Archie's desk, but she did not speak. "I want to help you, Regina, but I cannot do it alone."

"I don't know what I feel," confessed, leaning forward in the couch. Archie mirrored her, "My mood keeps changing, and I can't keep up. I don't know how to explain."

"Give it a try."

"When Marian was in the hospital with me and Robin, these images began popping into my head. Me, choking the life out of her… I am losing my mind, Archie, just like last time – before I first went into Evil Queen Mode."

"Are you worried you might relapse and use magic again?"

"I don't know. Every time I encounter Snow White with her daughter and the pirate perambulating around, laughing at nothing, enjoying themselves… I want to rip their smiles out of their faces. Some days I consider disappearing from this town with Henry, and some days I do not even want to leave the house. I am never sure of what to expect from myself. It is strange."

"You've certainly been through a roller coaster of emotions this week," he took hold of a glass of water sitting on the table beside him and took a sip before continuing, "There is only one problem with it. These are not feelings, Regina."

"Of course they are. What the hell are you talking about?"

"Last time I checked," his eyebrows lifted high on his forehead, "ripping Snow White's smile out of her face did not classify as an emotion."

She sneered, "It is more common than one might think, I guarantee."

"I asked how you _feel_, not what the emotion makes you want to do."

She thought about it for a few seconds, "For one, I am furious — at everyone and everything."

"What else?"

"Nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"_Of course _I am sure," snapped. "What? You think you know more about my own emotions than I do?"

"You just said you are not sure of what you feel, Regina, so my questions have grounds. I am asking this because you have a tendency to interpret your emotions as anger, even when you feel something else."

She furrowed her eyebrows at him, and tilted her head to one side.

"Since you lost Daniel," Regina clenched her jaw at his name, "anger became your specialty. You snapped at everyone for nothing, you killed at cold blood, and you cursed people in a daily basis – I am not judging. I am just saying… Anger became your main means of communication."

"What is your point?"

"Do you think that could be what you are doing right now? Interpreting many different emotions as anger?"

She stuffed her hands in her pockets, "Perhaps."

"Then, I will ask you again… What do you feel?"

"…"

"Give it a try. Tell me the first things that come to your mind."

"Loneliness," she pursed her lips, and paused. "I feel betrayed, afraid, confused… All at once."

"Where does all of that comes from?" Her shoulders lifted in a shrug. Archie insisted, "Guess."

"_I don't know_." She burst out of the sofa, pacing around the room with Doctor Hopper's eyes fixed on her back.

"Regina…?"

"_What do you want from me? _I told you all I know! What else do you expect me to say?"

"What are you so furious about? Or who are you so furious with?"

"I am furious at fate! At how every time things are going smoothly in my life there is something to screw it all up. _Why can't I just be happy? For once? _I have been helping the Uncharmings save the town for three years now and I am still unsatisfied! How many sacrifices do I still need to make? Even Rumpelstiltskin found his happiness with Belle, which I still do not understand – and please don't tell me the man is good, or I might strangle you from frustration."

"Is that all?"

She squinted at him.

"You are neglecting an important piece of this puzzle, Regina, and I suspect you are doing it on purpose."

"What are you—," she exhaled a breath she was holding and sat back in the couch, her hands running through her hair. "Grrr, Archie, you are making me crazy. If you know what I am missing, tell me at once!"

"This is just something I noticed, but you avoided Emma Swan's name since the moment you stepped inside this office."

There, he said it.

Regina swallowed visibly and clinched her jaw, straightening herself up.

"The one I had expected you to blame the most, the one I expected you to talk about incessantly, and you barely mentioned her name. Instead, you referred to her as 'Snow White's daughter', 'Hook's girlfriend', and 'Henry's birth mother'. I wonder why that is."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Then you would want to consider thinking more about the subject." He leaned forward, supporting his elbows in his knees. "My PhD might be from a curse, Regina, but if there is something I learned with the 28 years of experience I had in this office is that the cause for all our problems lies where we encounter the most resistance. You are resisting to talk about Emma even though it would be expected you did. The more you avoid the topic, the more I think something is hiding there. Whatever feelings you have for her, might be what underlies this anger and frustration you seem to be so concerned about."

A speechless Regina stood still for a few minutes, holding the handle of her purse as if her life depended on it.

Doctor Hopper glanced at the clock, "Our time is up. Think about what I told you, and be ready to talk about how you feel for Emma when we meet again. What about next week, at this same time?"

"I told you, I am not one of your regular patients."

"It is entirely up to you, but I would like to talk more about this, so I will keep the time slot open. You don't need to make up your mind straight away."

The clock struck 3 o'clock sharp, the seconds' pointer moving in rhythm, filling in the silence established between the two of them as Regina marched towards the door.

"By the way, Archie," she turned to him, a foot already stepping outside, "if I did not mention her name it is because she is not important."

He took in a deep breath. It has never been easy for Regina to break through the walls she raised around herself. "That or… she is more important to you than she appears to be." The muscles on her face contracted. "Perhaps even more than you think she is."

* * *

**Enchanted Forest, Past**

"Hello?" Jasmine's voice echoed in the darkness and met no answer. "Father? What is going on?" She tried to stand up and walk around, but without her sight she could not keep her equilibrium at the brusque movements in the floor.

The last thing she remembered was the green void sucking her away. Was she inside the lamp?

_Is that even possible? _She wondered.

A bit of light came from the gaps in the closed lid above her. "Father!" she shouted at the tiny slit.

Her voice returned to her, unanswered. Not that she had expected any response, but she did hope something — anything — filled the crushing silence that was now hurting her ears. Her head whirled. Whenever she moved, she felt as if she would be either sick or faint down. She tried hitting the walls with fireballs, just to realize she was not able to summon her magic. The arteries and veins on her body pulsed violently, her heart beating so fast she felt it resonating against her ribcage.

She screamed, not sure if to her father, or to herself — to stop the buzzing on her head.

Nothing. Her accelerated breathing was the only sound she could distinguish.

"Father!" she clenched her sweaty hands. "Please."

When her hand swiped a tear falling down her cheek, she realized she was crying, and rubbed her eyes, sitting on the floor.

"Please, let me go… I am sorry."

* * *

An absurd force took hold of her feet, and involved her body, blocking her breathing for a moment.

_What the hell…_

The force disappeared as soon as it had emerged, and Jasmine managed to open her eyes, slowly. The brightness reached her and burned them. She slammed them shut back.

"Jasmine?" it was her father's voice, though she did not recognize his tone. Was it… concern? She did not answer him.

Protecting her eyes with her hands, she finally managed to see her surroundings. _The main hall, _she thought, identifying the architecture of her palace. The earthly aroma of cinnamon incense in the air was instantly recognized — it smelled like childhood, when her much younger self would walk around the castle doing magic tricks to her servants, feeling full of herself with the smiles that emerged on their faces, as well as the applauses. It reminded her of her mother, and how she used to tell her everything about their kingdom, promising Jasmine that one day she would be an incredibly happy princess — and then, she would be queen.

"I want you to meet someone," said Al-Malik.

Back then, Jasmine hadn't realize her mother meant her happiness would end where her reign began, but now she understood.

"This is Jafar," he pointed towards a dark-skinned, tall man wearing a black tunic with a red turban standing in front of her. "He is a prince in a neighboring land, and is very interested in speaking to you, my daughter."

"It is an honor, your Royal Highness, to be in your stunning presence," he bowed so low Jasmine could see the dark hair in the back of his neck.

Her father shot her a stern look, and Jasmine forced a smile upon her face. "The honor is mine."

"Would you like to have a walk around the palace?" he ran his long fingers through his bearded jaw, approaching Jasmine and offering his arm to her. She noticed how full of wrinkles his face was, and wondered about his age.

"I am afraid you are asking the wrong person. My father is the one to answer for me," replied, sure that would be enough to please the King.

Indeed, a grin emerged on his lips, "You have my permission."

Prince Jafar took hold of her hand. Together, they left the main hall.

* * *

"I hereby declare Prince Jafar, from Khafji and Princess Jasmine, from Agrabah, husband and wife."

The moment Jasmine had dreaded the most for the last two weeks — though not the worst to come — had arrived. "You may kiss the bride."

She slammed her eyes shut. Jafar approached her and took her lips between his own. Immobile, Jasmine waited for it to end, and hoped to hell something happened and freed her out of her misery.

Married to someone not only she had not chose, but to the one person she would never choose — Prince Jafar.

* * *

Not a single sound disturbed the fortunate who lived on Agrabah's palace. Aladdin had been used to the sound of people partying on late hours, fervent arguments between husbands and wives, and even the strangled screams of those who were murdered under a cold breeze, before the sun reclaimed its' place in the sky. He would imagine the royal family slept as babies, in the silent comfort of their King sized beds.

He certainly did not know Jasmine.

Nevertheless, he was about to.

He sneaked into every door, every corridor, and every set of stairs, determined to find what he had come looking for.

A lamp that contained magic capable of nearly everything. Magic that would take form as a stunningly beautiful sorcerer — who granted the lamps' owner three wishes before disappearing inside its golden interior for ten thousand years more of waiting.

At least, so people told him.

It was exactly what Aladdin needed to change his reality once and for all. It was his chance to show his self-worth. To have the life he always wanted. All he needed to do — had said the man from the fair — was to creep in the Prince's bedroom and steal the golden lamp.

For some people it would be hard to accomplish such thing without being caught — but not for Aladdin, no.

He managed to slip between drowsy guards, and into the main bedroom. Without even glancing towards the bed where Jafar lied deep asleep, Aladdin took hold of the golden handle, and left through one of the palace's windows.

And so he accidentally abducted the princess from her own palace.

* * *

**Storybrooke, Present**

It was already past six and Regina was still lying down on the couch, staring at the ceiling of her living room.

'_Think about your feelings for Ms. Swan', he said. What feelings? What feelings do I have for her if not anger?_

In fact, rage would probably describe it better.

The sound of a heavy sigh filled the room.

Who was she kidding? She had long ago stopped hating and fearing Emma. Instead, she had taken her as an ally – a friend, even. Alongside with Henry, she was the only one in the Charmings family who Regina respected. She was different from the rest of them. Less infuriatingly good, and more human.

"_She's not dying," _Emma's voice echoed in her mind.

If it were not for the sheriff, she would hardly be alive today. Emma had saved her life so many times – the fire, the wrath, the angry mob, the diamond… In all of these situations, Emma could have just left Regina to her own luck. Henry would not be mad at her, because he would know she did not have much of a choice – it would all be forgiven.

Even when the trigger threatened to destroy Storybrooke, she preferred to risk everyone's life – and Henry's happiness – instead of simply leaving Regina behind.

She had been surprised by the blond on all these situations. Regina was not used to having someone who actually cared about her enough to risk their own life to save her.

At least not since her father and Daniel, that is.

"_My super power may not be perfect, but with you, Regina, I always know when you are lying. This time you are not. You didn't do it."_

The same warmth and the tingling sensation in the limbs she had felt back then invaded her again.

Oddly enough, even during their fights, she felt comfortable around Emma. Despite all insults they insisted to trade, they read each other between green and brown gazes, through a speech of their own – one that allowed them to communicate every one of their untold truths without exchanging a single word.

A knock on the door brought her back from her thoughts, and she ambled towards it.

"Snow?" she asked in a surprised tone, "What are you doing here?"

The younger woman held her arms forward, signaling to a bowl wrapped in a navy fabric. "I made you a pie."

"You… Made me a pie?" Regina was almost sure she heard it wrong.

Regardless of how much things had changed, they were not in the 'making food for each other' point of their relationship just yet.

Unless said food was filled with poison, that is.

"Apples are your favorite, aren't they?" She did not move, hesitant to take it. "Regina, you've just been through a break up, and this is what we do when we go through a break up."

"Make pies?"

"Eat sweets."

"Oh, dear, that does not sound like a good idea."

"But it is," exclaimed Snow. "Trust me, Regina."

"Last time I did, you ruined my life."

Snow rolled her eyes, but smiled. "That was more than 28 years ago."

"Actually, I was talking about that time when you killed my mother."

"Well, the only thing this pie will ruin is your diet. So you're good." She passed through the door against Regina's will. "We are having a sleep over!"

Regina's jaw dropped open. _She just did __**not **__say that._

"I just thought maybe you would benefit from some company," said an exasperated Snow White to an even more exasperated Regina, rushing towards the kitchen.

"Right… So you thought you were the best person for the job?"

"I brought movies, and pie, Regina, can't you be less of a joy-killer?"

"Not really, no."

"This is what friends are for – to support each other in the worst of times."

"We were allies in the whole Zelena thing – but that does not make us best friends forever, nor does it make you welcomed in my house."

"Fine," Snow shoot her a patronizing smile, "I am not your company for tonight, I just came to bring the pie and let you know that Charming will bring Henry later. He wants to spend the night here."

Regina's initial indifference disappeared. "H-Henry is coming?"

"Yes. You are going through a complicated moment, and Henry was always the one thing that made you happy. It's going to be good for you to have him here for a while."

"He is staying for a while?" a smile emerged on her lips, "Why didn't you say so since the beginning?"

"I wanted to see what you were going to say about the sleep over." She dropped the volume of her voice, "I didn't expect you would throw me out."

"How long is he staying?"

"For as long as you two want, though he goes home for the weekends."

She took hold of the younger woman's hand and gave it a squeeze, "Thank you, Snow."

Snow White reached forward to give the brunet a hug. "You will find your happiness. Be patient," she took a step back. "Enjoy your pie, Regina, and enjoy your time with your son."

* * *

"You know, I kind of missed this." Henry sat on the brown chair beside the central kitchen counter, as Regina walked around grabbing the silverware for them to eat Snow White's pie.

A wide smile appeared in Regina's face, as she sat down and put two plates in front of them. "Me too," she said.

They took the first bite, and raised eyebrows to each other, nodding their heads vigorously as to say the pie was delicious.

Watching Henry eat, Regina was reminded of a much younger version of him, sitting on that same place, and babbling about a new story he was reading – one about Snow White and the seven dwarfs. She hadn't realized back then, that said book would lead him towards believing she was an Evil Queen, and dash on a quest to find his birth mother, nor did she knew that was the beginning of the end for her curse.

"Tell me something about New York… I never got to hear the whole story."

"New York was fun. I had a bunch of friends at school, and Emma used to take us all out on the weekends. There are so many things to do there. It's different from here."

"Do you miss it?"

"Sorts of." He made a thoughtful face, "I prefer to live here, but I wished I could visit one of these days. See my friends, and my teachers at school. Plus, I could show you the Liberty Statue, Central Park, and we could go to Broadway."

"What is that?"

"Oh, it's an avenue in Manhattan; they have a bunch of theatres there. They are really good, you would love it."

"You… would go with me?"

She was not inviting him – as she was not sure if the town line could be crossed or not – but the thought that Henry would like to spend some more time with her and show her his life outside of Storybrooke was a really nice and unexpected one. She had not yet been able to feel a hundred percent secure of her son's feelings for her, even though things were much better than when operation cobra was in place.

"Yeah! Maybe the three of us – you, me, and Emma." Regina tilted her head to one side, and lifted her eyebrows. "It would be fun," he said, before she protested.

Hesitant, she agreed, "I would like that."

A silence established between them until Henry finally finished his plate. "Can I ask you something?"

She nodded.

"Are you mad at my mom? For the Robin thing?"

"It's complicated, Henry."

"I am so tired of seeing you two fighting… Can't you forgive her?"

"I am sorry; I imagine it must be upsetting for you."

"Just let it go, mom. Please?"

Regina narrowed her eyes in suspicion, and stared at Henry intently. "Did she send you here?"

"I wanted to come."

Silence.

"Are you going to turn evil again? Begin doing magic, try to get revenge on people, and stuff?" he asked in one breath after a few seconds.

"No!" she exclaimed, "Henry, I am not doing that anymore. I _am _changed."

"So… You are not planning anything against Emma?"

"Of course not. I am just… upset with her. But that doesn't change the fact that we are both your mothers, and that we need to be nice to each other – for your sake." Her eyes softened, "I don't want to lose you again. I might like Robin, but he is not worth our relationship. I wouldn't risk what we have for him, regardless of my feelings. You are more important."

"Emma too?"

"Emma is important because she is your mother, nothing more."

"You do know I inherited her super power, don't you?" he placed a hand on his chin, and narrowed his eyes. Regina unconsciously took a step back. "You are lying. You like her, I know you do."

"I like her no more than I do any other people in this town."

"Right." The grin on his face spoke for itself. "But can you forgive her? Common' mom, she made pie!"

"What…?" Regina blinked. "Miss Swan made this?"

"Yeah, who did you think it was?"

"Snow White."

He covered his face with a hand, and shook his head, "Snow White doesn't know how to make pie!"

"She doesn't?" he shook his head again. "And _Emma_ does?"

"Not really. There are two burned pies at Mary Margaret's place."

"S-she tried more than once?"

"Yeah, she only got it right because I helped her. I told you, she really is sorry that she screwed up your happy ending."

"No, she' not." She twisted her mouth in a soured expression. "If she went back, she would do it all over again."

"She isn't sorry that she saved someone's life, but she _is _sorry that she had to interrupt your happiness to do so." He paused for a second, and reached for his mother's hand. "She cares about you, mom, even though you don't believe it."

"…"

"Emma knew it all along…" At Regina's confused expression, he continued, "That you were not a villain."

She crossed her arms over the black cushion she held, pressing it against her bust. "I really don't care about what Emma Swan thinks of me, Henry."

"Do you remember the turnover I ate?"

_How could I forget? _

"The reason why I had to eat it in the first place was because Emma refused to believe me that you were evil. No one else but her saw you for who you are," he lowered his head and looked at the floor, "– not even me."

"I was hiding behind a mask all this time." She did not want Henry to blame himself for going against her – it was all her fault after all. "If Emma saw through it, that's because of that super power of hers."

"No, it isn't. It is because you two are very much alike. If you weren't trying to destroy each other so often, I bet you would be very close."

"Henry, you have a wild imagination."

"Do I? And when has it ever been wrong?"

_Pan, _she thought, but decided not to bring it up, as it was only one exception. Henry was right, his 'wild' imagination usually tended to notice things no one else could see – things that were much more truthful and genuine than the obvious 'reality' everyone insisted to believe in.

With the tableware already in the sink, she climbed upstairs to take a quick shower, while Henry stayed in the living room watching TV.

When she returned fifteen minutes later, a whisper came from below_, "Yes, that's what I told her."_

The whispers became louder as she reached the hall, trying to be as silent as possible. She could easily hear the conversation Henry was having on the phone, coming from the living room, if she stayed behind the wall, side by side with one of her mirrors.

_This is wrong. I should give him his privacy, _she thought, but stayed exactly where she was, with wide eyes and attentive ears – her son did not have the habit to speak in whispers, especially on the telephone. He was up to something.

"_Yes, the pie was delicious. I told you cinnamon would give the special touch."_

"_She is in the shower." _

"_I said I wanted to come." _

"_I didn't lie, mom! I just didn't say that you were the one who suggested it." _

"_How is my nephew?"_

"_I would love to see that."_

"_Alright, I will call you again if anything changes. Operation Apples' phase one is complete!" _

Regina decided it was time to enter the room. Henry immediately looked up at her, and changed his tone to a loud, clear voice, _"_Okay, ma, I have to go. Good night. Bye._"_

"Was that Emma?" she asked, as Henry turned off the phone.

"Yep. She called to say good night."

He passed the cell phone from one hand to the other several times, trying to come up with something to say. "Oh, did Snow bring any movies when she came to drop in the pie?"

"Yes, she did." Regina grabbed the DVD in the dining table, and sat on the sofa. She pointed at the cover, "Frozen?"

"We need to know what we are going up against."

"Is this about Elsa?" He nodded. "Do you think it is accurate?"

"It is a nice place to start. Emma is with Mr. and Mrs. Gold in the library. They are trying to find something to help cure Robin. I thought we should be helping somehow, so I asked Snow to get this. I never had the chance to watch it back in New York, so this will be fun."

"I am sure it will."

Regina was distracted during the whole movie. Her mind went through every scenario of what Operation Apples could be about, wondering why Emma would have suggested that Henry moved back in with her.

She also could not help but feel grateful towards the blond. Snow was right – having Henry there would do her good.

Her hand reached for his, and she let herself enjoy the unusual – but incredibly pleasant – feeling of weightlessness, as if nothing in the world could be enough to ruin her happiness on that moment.

* * *

How rewarding it was to be able to take Henry to school again. It has been a whole year since the last time, and she missed it so much that sometimes her car found its way to Henry's school almost by its own account.

It was around 8:15 when she arrived at Granny's to get her morning coffee. When Ruby sighted the brunet on the streets, she began preparing her order, and by the time Regina entered, she had it on the counter, waiting for her.

"Good morning, your majesty," she smiled, and pushed the coffee towards the Queen's direction. "Looking good today, huh?"

"Every day, dear," said Regina, smirking and tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Would you mind giving me another one of these?" she gestured towards the coffee. Ruby nodded, but before she turned around, Regina spoke again, "Actually, make it a hot cocoa with cinnamon on the top."

"Is this for Henry? Tell him I said hi."

"Not Henry, dear."

"Then who?"

"_None of your business,_" she snapped with a sharp tone.

Ruby's brows knitted together in a frown, and she rushed to meet Regina's order. "Here you go," she placed the small cup in front of Regina, who grabbed it and turned around.

She approached the blond sitting on the very end of the diner, wearing a pair of headphones that covered her ears. The hot cocoa was placed on the table, calling her attention from the newspaper she was reading. She removed the headphones as soon she caught Regina's sight.

"I thought you would like one," explained, referring to the beverage.

Emma gave her a genuine smile, "Thanks, Regina." She took a sip from the white cup, "What do I own the pleasure?"

"M-Our son. You sent him to my house yesterday," stated Regina.

"He told you it was me, huh?" Emma fixed her eyes into the paper in front of her and pretended to read.

"You made me pie."

"Yeah, I had nothing to do yesterday, anyways," her shoulders lifted in a shrug. "I thought you would like it."

"You tried to do it twice."

"He told you that, too, huh?"

"And may I ask what in the hell is Operation Apples?"

"Pretty sure he didn't tell you that one."

"I overheard your conversation with him."

"You know how Henry is… He got a little carried away with the whole "let's try to cheer your mom up" thing. Next thing I know, we are talking about Operation Apples. I still couldn't quite figure out what it is, but he says it is supposed to make you happy again." She felt overly conscious of Regina's chocolate eyes fixed at her, "The first thing that occurred to me was to send him to spend some time with you. I know nothing makes you happier than having him over."

"You are right," Emma thought she saw a smile cross her lips, but she was not sure, "Nothing makes me happier."

Dropping the newspaper, Emma gazed at her for a moment. She smirked, "I truly cannot imagine you baking pie, Miss Swan. I will only believe it when I have som–,"

Emma silenced her with an image appearing in Regina's black coffee. It was Emma and Henry baking a pie in an oven. The image seemed to be from her perspective, so all Regina could see was hands.

Hands that looked a whole lot like Emma Swan's.

"Proof…," finished, with an astonished expression. "You are getting pretty skilled, aren't you?"

"Yep." She straightened herself up, and her smile widened. "I can make things appear and disappear, I can show my memories to people, and I can even lit a fire – though I can't do that indoors. I tried once, and I almost put fire in Hook's clothes."

"It's a shame you didn't succeed. These clothes have been asking to be burned since the beginnings of times."

"I've been trying to get him to change… But he refuses to."

"Trust me, you would be doing him a favor if you just burned it all."

A side smile emerged in Emma's lips, which was corresponded by Regina. Without glancing away, the blond remarked, "You are talking to me again."

"Yes, I am."

"The pie was that good?"

"I don't believe I need to explain myself, Ms. Swan, on my reasons to talk to you, or do I?"

"Of course not."

"Good."

"Great."

They both took a sip from their cups.

"I heard you had a talk with Rumple about Elsa, yesterday," said Regina. "How is that going? Have you found anything yet?"

"Sorts of… Nothing specific about her, but Gold thinks he found a way to enchant the container so that when we do find her, we will have a chance to capture her."

"I see," Regina crossed her legs, her hand falling to her lap. "The movie I watched with Henry did not help much. I might not have known her well, but I do know she is not as they portray her. Trust me, Miss Swan, if there is such thing as an Evil Queen, _it's her_."

"I thought you haven't met her."

"Our paths crossed briefly," her fingers toyed with the tableware, "You could say she was an ally of mine."

Emma leaned forward, sitting at the edge of her chair, "Then you can talk to her!" she exclaimed in a bubbly tone. "Tell her you are our friend, and she will stop with everything."

"Emma, please," she shook her head, "Do you really think she would just grab her ice castle and leave? Things are never that easy."

"Oh, but why do they need to be so complicated?" she ducked her head between her arms. Regina laughed in silence. "Wait a second," her head rose up, "Did you say ice castle?"

"Yes, Miss Swan, I did."

"Do you think it is here in storybrooke?"

"Considering she can make it out of nowhere, I would assume she built one here, yes."

"Whoa."

"Don't be so impressed, Miss Swan," she stopped herself, and faked a thoughtful expression. "Or perhaps I should say Sheriff Swan?"

"Actually, I like Miss Swan better."

She lifted her eyebrows. "You do? Imagine that."

A loud noise of a plate breaking called the attention of both of them, and they turned to the balcony. Ruby had just dropped a cup and was staring at the outside, paralyzed.

"Emma…!" she exclaimed. "Something is wrong." Both women stood up and neared the counter. "It's Pongo. Something's happened."

Regina shot them a confused expression, to which Emma responded, "She can listen to Archie's dog from far away. It's a wolf thing."

They left the diner and ran towards Doctor Hopper's office. The door was closed, but after knocking a few times and receiving no answer, Emma and Regina decided to enter. The office was in perfect order, but there was no one there.

Pongo was in the corner, shaking and barking, pacing in circles. "Odd…" murmured Emma.

"How accurate is Ruby's hearing? Can we be sure something happened?"

"I don't know. But Archie wouldn't go away and leave Pongo behind in this state." She glanced at Regina, "Do you think it could have been Elsa?"

"Hardly." Her eyes inspected the room with close attention, "No ice."

"There is something going on here, and I will find out what it is."


End file.
